Turkish women in laughing protest in spite of deputy PM

Hundreds of women in Turkey have taken to the social media to protest Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç’s call on them to “not laugh in public.” “[The woman] will know what is haram and not haram. She will not laugh in public. She will not be inviting in her attitudes and will protect her chasteness,” Arınç said July 28. Arınç’s words quickly sparked a debate on Turkish social media, triggering a protest in which hundreds of women shared their photos while laughing with hashtags #kahkaha (laugh) and #direnkahkaha (resist, laugh). Here are some of the photos shared for the protest (Photo: Director and TV presenter Sevim Gözay)